Where I Want To Be
by TwitchingHades
Summary: Daphne and Emmett make a friend when they are children - a hearing girl named Mabel with an affinity for ASL. They thought they had seen the last of her when she moved away, but now she's back three years later and stirring up more commotion for the SAB gang! Join her on her journey to find her place in the world, and her place in Emmett's heart. Emmett/OC
1. Chapter 1

**So, I signed up for an ASL class this semester, and because of that, a friend of my suggested that I watch Switched at Birth for the signing in it. I've fallen in love with the show and, although red-heads (Or, as the character description puts it, strawberry-blonds) don't usually do it for me, I find Emmett unbelievably adorable~! I honestly ship him SO HARD with Bay, but where I'm at right now (about midway through season 2), him and Bay aren't exactly on great terms, so I decided to write this~**

**There are some spoilers from the show up to the point that I've watched (like I said above, about halfway through season 2 at this point), so if you haven't seen that far yet and don't want anything ruined, I suggest you wait to read this D: I'll also be putting little poems at the beginning of each chapter (all of which are originally done by me, to my knowledge! If I managed to steal something from someone without having read their work, well... Generic stuff, yo, I'm not a poet :B ). Some will rhyme, others won't... And Those will be explained later on in the story.**

**A little more information before reading the story:**

**The main character, Mabel, is roughly a year younger than the rest of the gang (if I'm not mistaken on anyone's age).**

"This is talking."

_'This is signing.'_

**"This is talking and signing." **

**.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

_Pain is what pulls us into the dark._

_Despair is what tears the holes in our heart._

_Sadness is what leaves the rifts in our life,_

_But hope is what keeps us going,_

_What keeps us alive._

* * *

A young girl of twelve, Mabel Viahi, sat on a park bench, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill from her hazel-green eyes. Her hair was a mess of short, brown waves atop her head, which hung over her face to hide most of its features. Her eyes scanned the area around her, feeling self-conscious as she saw the other children her age laughing and playing as though everything was fine. For her, though, everything was not fine. She was alone on her twelfth birthday, and she could only blame one person for that unfortunate truth.

Her mother.

The woman had a serious problem, one that even her preteen daughter could easily identify. She was a drunk who couldn't live a stable life. The two females, mother and daughter, had moved all over the country countless times, leaving behind friends, family, and even some material belongings. The girl could not even begin to fathom why her mother did what she did, but she had learned over the years how to quickly adapt to new situations. Still, adaptation did not make it any easier to be completely alone on her birthday.

The girl's eyes landed on a pair of children who looked as though they were around her age, sitting at a table not too far away from where she sat. Both had strawberry blond hair, and both were moving their hands frantically at each other. The brunette found herself momentarily distracted from her inner turmoil as she watched the two communicate in gestures and facial expressions alone. It fascinated her. The bliss ended quickly, though, when the blonde girl's eye met with her own. They stared for a few seconds before Mable averted her gaze, embarrassed at being caught watching them. She saw from the corner of her eye as the two seemed to have a short debate before heading in her direction, the girl in the lead.

"**What are you staring at?**" the girl initiated, a strange, breathy accent in her voice, and an irritated look on her face.

"Wha... I, I wasn't... staring," Mable mumbled back, turning her head down to avoid the confrontation.

"**Look at me when you're talking to me!**" the girl shouted, grabbing Mabel's shoulder and forcibly turning the brunette to face her.

Mabel stared at the pair, her eyes wide with fear.

**"It's rude to stare at people, you know! How would you like it if I stared at you while you're trying to talk to your friends?"**

"I... I..." The tears pooled in her eyes, quickly spilling down her cheeks. She sniffled and sobbed pathetically, managing to stutter out an apology as she hugged her arms around her body. "I-I'm s-s-sorry. P-please, don't h-hurt me...!"

The two blonds shared a look of surprise. The boy moved his hands around frantically, a worried look on his face. Mabel couldn't help but watch his movements, despite herself, her sobbing quieting to soft hiccups. She may have gotten into trouble for watching in the first place, but she couldn't help but find the foreign language interesting.

**"Hey, listen..."** The girl turned back to Mabel, an apologetic look on her face. **"I'm sorry."** She made a fist against her chest and moved it around in a circle. **"I shouldn't have gotten so worked up. It's just annoying when you hearing stare at us while we're talking."**

Mabel wiped her eyes, the tears subsiding, and sniffled a few times to keep her nose from running. She nodded slowly to the girl, looking apologetic herself. "**I'm sorry**, too." She hesitated for a moment, copying the circling motion of her fist on her chest. "That means I'm sorry, right..? I... I shouldn't have been staring..." She averted her eyes, but stayed facing the pair, looking bashful. "But... The movements are interesting... Very... poetic..."

The two shared a short laugh, causing Mabel to turn her attention back to the two. The boy started signing again, a smile pulling his lips across his face. The girl signed back before turning to Mabel again, a smile on her face as well now.

**"Poetic?"** She sounded surprised, but there was a slight teasing tone to her voice. **"People don't usually describe it like that... What's your name?"**

"Uh... Mabel," she answered, giving a small grimace of a smile in return.

**"I'm Daphne,"** the girl introduced, waving her hand in the shape of a "D" near her face. **"And, this is Emmett."** She made another sign as she moved her hand away from her head.** "It's nice to meet you."** She signed it out as she spoke, and Mabel hesitantly imitated her movement with awe in her eyes.

"**It's nice... to meet you**, too..." She smiled a little wider now as she looked back and forth between the two.

Emmett signed something to Daphne, who turned to Mabel with a smile. **"So, why are you sitting over here by yourself?"** Daphne asked innocently.

The smile that was once on Mabel's features quickly vanished, and she stared sadly at the other kids on the playground. "I..." Her voice was soft and hesitant as she thought of a response, not wanted to sound like a pity party. "I just moved here, and I don't have any friends yet..." It was an honest enough answer, she decided, but it didn't give too much away.

"**Oh, I'm sorry,**" Daphne replied softly. "**You can hang out with me and Emmett, if you'd like.**" She gave Emmett a questioning look and signed something to him, and the boy shrugged a bit, a small smile on his face as he signed back. "**See, even Emmett's okay with you hanging out with us, and he doesn't usually like you hearing people**."

Mabel watched the blond boy with interest as he signed something else with a cute smile on his face. "What's that mean?" she asked in awe, not taking her eyes off of him.

**"He said that anyone who finds him 'poetic' is okay in his book,"** Daphne translates with a laugh.

Mabel laughs quietly and nods. "I would love to hang out with you guys." With that, the three relocated to the table that the two blonds had originally been sitting at. "Hey, if I told you it was my birthday, would the two of you, maybe, teach me some of that language as a gift?" Mabel asked, making sure to turn so that they could both see her lips as she spoke.

Emmett started signing again, a surprised look on his face, and Daphne happily translated the question that was on her mind as well. **"It's you're birthday?"** she asked in excitement. **"How old are you?"**

"Twelve," Mabel replied, holding up one finger, then two.

Emmett quickly corrected her, a smile on his face as he held up two fingers, his palm facing his body, and bent them twice. Mabel repeated the motion with a wide smile.

**"Twelve,**" she repeated happily.

"**We'd be glad to teach you what we know,**" Daphne stated with a grin, Emmett smiling and nodding in agreement.

* * *

**So, there you go~! First chapter!**

**I have a question for all my fellow SAB fans! **

_**Does anyone know what Emmett's name sign is?**_

**From what I know, I think that it might be 'sun/sunshine' (I don't remember very well exactly how it went, and my signing is still amateur, at best). I read somewhere that it was just the sign for 'boy', but that was just someone else's guess. It's never explained in the show, and I'm really curious as to what it means.  
**

**So, if anyone knows, you should let me know! We'll spread the knowledge~! :DD**


	2. Chapter 2

**So, welcome back my loyal readers who have come this far! This is the place where I got the idea for the lame name for this story - that is, the lame poem I used for the beginning of this story ;o;  
**

**I'll let you guys get to it, then. Enjoy!**

* * *

_I feel your heartbeat_

_As if it's my own._

_Every move you make_

_I feel it in my soul._

_You are my home, even when I'm far away._

_You are my muse, my everything._

_You are where I want to be._

* * *

Three years had passed since that fateful day in Kansas City. Mabel moved away at some point after her thirteenth birthday, and she hadn't seen or heard from either Daphne nor Emmett since she left; not that she had expected to. She had no cell phone, and with the way her mother spent money, they couldn't even afford a computer.

Things were looking up now, though. Mabel's mother had pulled herself together since then, and the two had agreed upon moving back to Kansas City - it was the place that Mabel had missed the most in all her years of traveling, and the only place she felt that she even slightly belonged. Her mother still drank, of course, but Mabel was hopeful that she would get help for her addiction. In the mean time, she would take things one day at a time, and hope to find her old childhood friends.

Mabel had enrolled into Carlton's School for the Deaf, under the pilot program for the hearing. She knew that if her friends still lived in this town, they would more than likely be enrolled here; Emmett, at the very least. She remembered how much he hated dealing with hearing people. Even she had gotten on his nerves sometimes, with the number of times she asked him to slow down or repeat something or finger spell something. He was a sweet boy, but he had a fiery temper when he was stressed or annoyed.

Luckily, Mabel had been practicing ASL even after she moved away. She signed nearly everything that she said, and sometimes she would just silently rant to herself through her signing; it really paid off on all those nights that she didn't want to risk disturbing her drunken mother, but really needed to vent. Anything that she didn't know how to sign, she would look up the first chance she had. She wouldn't consider herself a master at it, and she would probably still just barely be able to keep up with the conversations between Emmett and Daphne, but she knew she had improved massively in the past three years.

She stared at the high school in front of her, slightly overwhelmed by the amount of students that were walking around the grounds. Despite having moved so many times and having to constantly be the new student, she always got nervous on her first few days. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before entering the building through the main doors. She walked slowly, avoiding bumping into any students in the crowded hallway as they made their way to class. She pivoted to avoid being hit by a bulky boy as he ran past her, and she nearly fell over in the process. She stumbled backward, quickly righting herself against a wall. Only, the wall felt like cloth, rather than a wall, and it was much squishier than any wall she had ever encountered before.

Her face turned beat red as she realized she had run into someone. "Sorry!" she yelled out, startled as she turned around and signed the word multiple times to the person behind her. She stopped as she recognized strawberry-blond hair and stunning blue eyes, her breath catching in her throat.

_'It's fine,'_ the boy signed back with a kind smile.

Mabel stared up at the boy in awe, her eyes wide. Could this possibly be the boy from all those years ago? It certainly looked like him. Even the smile pulling at his pink lips was the same as she remembered.

_'Are you O.K?'_ he signed, lifting an eyebrow at the girl in front of him.

_'Yes,'_ Mabel signed back quickly, her hands practically shaking from the nerves. _'I'm fine_._'_

His lips pulled a little farther into a larger smile as he signed _'O.K.'_ again, looking like he was ready to walk away.

_'Wait,'_ Mabel signed quickly, a hopeful look on her face as she gently grabbed the boy's arm to keep him from leaving. _'Are you E-M-M-E-T-T?'_ She followed her question with his name sign, and the boy looked surprised.

_'Do I know you?'_ His brows were furrowed as he tried to place the girl's face.

_'M-A-B-E-L.'_ She followed her finger spelling with her own name sign - the sign for shy with an "M" - her smile widening. She half expect a hug from the blond boy in front of her; at the very least, she expected a smile. Instead, he just looked upset.

_'What are you doing here?'_ he asked, his mouth curved down into a frown.

Mabel faltered slightly. _'I moved back. I'm attending school here now.'_

_'Oh. That's great.'_ His facial expression betrayed his words. He quickly turned to leave, but Mabel grabbed his arm to stop him again. He looked almost angry now as he stared at her.

_'Are you...'_ Mabel hesitated, unsure that she should even bother to finish the question. She thought he would at least be a little happy to see her, with how close they had been. _'Are you not happy to see me?'_ She frowned up at him as he scoffed quietly, partly turning his body away from her.

_'I have to get to class,' _was his only reply before walking away.

Mabel watched him leave with sad eyes. They had been so close before she had moved away. Why was he so mad now that she was back? She sighed and wrung her hands around the straps of her bag, almost just turning tail and going back home right then and there. The lights flashed around her as the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class. With another sigh, Mabel made her way to the office to get her schedule before heading to class.

* * *

**Dun, dun, DUN! Drama! For the record, the category 'drama' that I put for the second category of this story is a gross overstatement. I would love to be able to write a lovely, romantic drama that has you on the edge of your seat! Alas, my skills as a novelist are minimal. I may know a few big, fancy words (thank you, Google xD), but my plot-making skills aren't very good. None the less, I shall try my hardest to make this a lovely story worth reading!**

**Good day to all you lovely readers who pay attention to my work~! 3**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm trying really hard to keep these chapters at least over 1,000 words, you guys! Anything less than that, it's because my mojo to write flew out the window! So, terribly sorry for the short chapter..! Forgive me...! ;o;**

**Oh, yes. This is where finger spelling comes into play during speech. Pretty easy to identify. If it's spelled like T-H-I-S, then it's finger spelled. Simple enough (for you guys to read, anyway. Spelling things out like that is a byoch. :T BUT I DO IT BECAUSE I LOVE YOU GUYS!)**

**Enjoy~!**

* * *

_We shut down and open up again._

_You pierce me with your eyes,_

_Stab me with your words._

_You shut me down, and lock me up tight._

_Only you can tear open these wounds._

_Only you can make this right._

* * *

The day dragged on for Mabel. Her heart felt like it was being crushed in her chest, and Emmett's angry expression haunted her in every class she attended. She tried her best to ignore her inner turmoil and pay attention in class, but she wanted to know why Emmett was so upset when she told him who she was.

_Is he angry at me for leaving?_ she asked herself, biting the eraser of her pencil as she stared blankly at the teacher, who was lecturing away. _It's not like I had a choice in the matter. He has to know that I would have stayed if I could..._

She started slightly as the teacher pointed at her, telling her to answer.

_'Sorry,'_ she signed, turning red. _'Could you please repeat that?'_

The teacher narrowed her eyes at Mabel.

_'I don't take kindly to being ignored in class, Miss V-I-A-H-I.'_ She spelled out the name so fast, Mable couldn't even keep up. _ 'I know it's your first day, so this is a warning. Pay attention. Understood?'_

Mabel swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and sank down in her seat. _'Yes. Sorry, Miss.'_ She pushed the thoughts away and focused on the teacher's lecture again, her lips pursed into a thin frown.

The bell rang at the end of class, the teacher dismissing them moments later. It was the last class of the day. Mabel slowly gathered her things, the thought of heading home just making her mood worsen.

_Maybe this whole idea was bad._ She thought sourly as she pulled her bag over her shoulder. _I'm an idiot for thinking I'd be missed..._

"Mabel!" called a slightly familiar voice from behind. She turned to see a girl with long, strawberry-blonde hair and a pretty smile. **"Mabel, it's me. Daphne."** The girl signed excitedly as she spoke, rushing up to her old friend.

Mabel blinked a few times, the situation taking a moment to truly sink in. Daphne pulled her into a tight hug, releasing her a few seconds later. She was still smiling brightly when she pulled away.

**"Wow, it's been forever since I last saw you! How have you been? What are you doing here?"**

Mabel smiled slowly, amazed at the speed Daphne was signing, even as she talked. **"I'm doing alright, how have you been?**" Mabel replied, signing out her words in reply. Talking felt more natural with Daphne, but she didn't forget that the girl was deaf, so she didn't miss a beat with signing.

**"Good, good!**" Daphne replied enthusiastically. **"So much drama, though, you wouldn't believe it! Are you living here again?"**

**"Yeah!"** Mabel smiled.** "My mom and I moved back into town a few days ago. I figured I'd find either you or Emmett if I enrolled here."**

**"Oh! Emmett!"** Daphne looked shocked that she just now thought of it. **"He's going to be so excited to see you!"** She quickly pulled out her phone and started texting.

Mabel looked mortified as she waved a hand in front of Daphne, regaining her attention. **"I already saw Emmett,"** she stated, her expression giving everything away.

**"You did?"** Daphne asked, her eyes scanning the brunette's face.** "What happened?"**

**"He seemed... really angry when I told him who I was..."** She glanced away sadly. **"Is he mad at me for leaving? You know I would have stayed if I had a choice, right?"** She looked at Daphne with sad eyes, hoping for a reassuring answer from the girl. **"The last thing I wanted to do was leave you guys."**

**"Oh, no..."** Daphne said, sympathy in her tone. **"Emmett's just been going through a lot of things lately. He was really upset when you left, and I think it hurt him that you left without even saying goodbye..."**

**"I'm sorry!"** Mabel exclaimed, looking horribly guilty. **"My mom has a tendency to just throw everything in the car and move out at a moment's notice. I wanted to see you guys again before I left, but I didn't have the chance."** She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. **"I'm so sorry..."**

**"Hey, it's alright."** Mabel felt a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder, and she opened her eyes to a smiling Daphne. **"Give him some time, he'll come around. He just needs some time to wrap his head around everything."**

Mabel nodded slightly, giving Daphne a smile in return. **"Right. Thank you."**

**"No problem,"** Daphne says with a grin. **"Now, let's go get some food somewhere. We have a lot of catching up to do.**" She led a laughing Mabel out of the room, filling her in on what she had missed since she left.


	4. Chapter 4

_Don't let me sink,_

_Or I'll drown in my dispair._

_Don't leave me now,_

_Or I will have no where _

_To go when I fall down_

_Too far to pick myself back up._

_Don't leave me now,_

_Or you may never see me again._

* * *

**"You're kidding," **Mabel signed in awe, holding her burger in one hand. **"So, now you're living with an entirely different family? On the rich side of town?" **Daphne had just filled her in on the whole switched at birth situation, and the girl was shocked to learn that information.

**"Yeah," **Daphne said with a slight laugh. **"These people have an entire guest house that me, my mom and my grandma are all staying in. It's crazy."**

**"That sounds insane!"** Mabel agreed, a smile on her face. **"Hey, hey, do they have their own pool?"** She grinned cheekily, meaning it as a joke.

**"Yes!" **Daphne exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. **"They're crazy rich!"**

**"Wow. Well, good for you. I knew that you and your mom never really looked anything alike, but I never would have guessed that she wasn't your biological mother. I'm glad you have the chance to meet your bio parents, that must be nice." **She smiled sincerely.

**"It is," **Daphne said with a soft sigh. **"Everything has been so crazy lately, though. John and Kathryn, my bio parents, don't really get along very well with my mom. And Angelo decided he wanted to be apart of mine and Bay's life after he found out about the switch. Life has been so hectic since all of this started."**

**"I bet," **Mabel replied softly, giving her friend a gentle pat on the shoulder. **"But, things will settle down again eventually, I'm sure."**

Daphne nodded in response before turning a smile to her friend. **"So, what's new in your life? Now now that I got my story out of the way."**

**"Compared to you, nothing spectacular," **Mabel said with a laugh. **"Uh, I've still been doing poetry. My art's gotten better, I think. Oh, I got a tattoo and learned how to play bass."**

**"You did what!?" **Daphne asked in shock.

**"I learned how to play bass," **Mabel repeated, purposely leaving out the one thing that Daphne was so shocked about.

**"No, not the bass thing,"** Daphne scoffed, a small smile on her face. **"You got a tattoo? When did this happen? Where is it? What is it?"**

Mabel lifted her shirt a bit to show a rather large image of a cobra on the side of her stomach. **"I got it about a year ago, around the same time I learned bass."**

**"Geez, that's insane!"** Daphne gawked at the image. **"It looks so cool! Did it hurt?"**

**"Well, I was high as a kite when I got it, and I think I blacked out a few times,"** Mabel said with a shrug as she put her shirt back down. **"I don't remember much from actually getting it, but I know it hurt like hell for a while after."**

**"Oh, wow, that's... Uh..."** Daphne seemed at a loss for words at the new information.

**"I don't... I don't do anything like that anymore,"** Mabel stated, looking a way bashfully. **"That lifestyle was not for me. I just... I had a hard time coping with everything after a while, you know? But, I'm past all of that now." **She gave the blond a cheesy smile and a thumbs-up. **"I'm still the same old goody-two-shoes that you used to know, don't worry."**

Daphne let out a quiet laugh and shook her head. **"Wow. I guess a lot changes in three years... So, you play bass now?"**

**"Yep,"** Mabel said proudly**. "I'm not amazing or anything, but I know my way around a bass. I just wish I had one of my own so I could keep practicing. It's a lot of fun."**

**"My brother is actually kind of a musician,"** Daphne states with a contemplating look.

**"Really?"**

**"Yeah. He had his own band and everything for a while, but his bass player was sent off to boarding school. He started another band with a girl he liked, but things fell through with that..."** She looked at Mabel with a sly smile. **"He actually has a few bass of his own, and I'm sure he'd love to have a new bass player."**

Mabel waved her hands a bit in dismissal, her face reddening slightly. **"No, I couldn't play in a band,"** she said, embarrassed at the thought of playing in front of Daphne's new brother, let alone an entire crowd of strangers. **"I told you, I'm not that good."**

**"You wouldn't have to join his band, I meant it as just someone to play music with," **Daphne corrected with a smile. **"You could get some practice in, and I'm sure Toby would be more than happy to teach you some new tricks."**

Mabel opened her mouth to protest again, but stopped as she thought about it. **"That doesn't sound like a bad idea, actually. You're sure he wouldn't mind?"**

**"Let's go ask," **Daphne said excitedly, leading the way back to her car. Mabel followed suit and the two quickly headed to the rich part of town, to where Daphne lived now.

The two pulled up in front of a mansion of a house, and Mabel found herself gawking at the place. **"This is where you live now?"** she asked in awe, getting a nod from Daphne. **"Lucky you..."**

They got out of the car and Daphne led the way into the house. Mabel followed slowly, still trying to take in her surroundings. It was hard to imaging that Daphne lived here now, considering where she had lived before.

**"Kathryn,"** Daphne called out to a woman that held a striking resemblance to her. **"Do you know where Toby is?"**

**"He's in the garage,**" the woman replied, glancing questioningly between her daughter and Mabel. **"Who's your friend?"**

**"Oh, this is M-A-B-E-L."** She followed the finger spelling with the girl's name sign. **"She's an old friend that recently moved back into town. She also knows how to play bass, so I figured Toby and her could jam sometime."**

**"Oh, I see,"** Katheryn said, but she looked slightly worried. The look quickly faded though when she turned politely and smiled at Mabel. **"My name is K-A-T-H-E-R-Y-N. It's nice to meet you, Mabel."**

Daphne and Mabel shared a slight laugh. **"I'm hearing," **Mabel clarified at the questioning look the woman gave them. **"So you don't have to spell it out. But, thank you, it's nice to meet you, too."**

"Oh," Katheryn said with a slight laugh. **"Well, Toby should be in the garage."**

**"O-K. Thanks,"** Daphne replied before heading to the garage. Mabel waved her goodbye to Katheryn before following her friend.

"Toby, are you in here?" Daphne called as she opened the door that connected the house to the garage.

"Yeah," Toby replied from the spot he was sitting, his guitar in hand. He looked up to see Daphne and Mabel, standing and setting his guitar down so he could walk up to the two. **"What's up?"**

**"This is Mabel,"** Daphne introduced with a smile. **"She's an old friend that recently moved back."**

**"Nice to meet you,"** Toby said, a polite smile on his face.

**"She also plays bass,"** Daphne continued, a hinting tone to her voice.

Toby held up his hands before Daphne could continue. **"I'm not really looking to start another band." **

**"I'm not asking you to,"** Daphne continued slowly. **"She just doesn't own a bass of her own, and she wanted to practice. We were wondering if you would mind letting her use one of your bass. You know, have some jam sessions, or something."**

**"I don't know," **Toby said, looking skeptical.

**"Come on, it would be fun,"** Daphne pressed. She stopped and turned to Mabel when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

**"If he doesn't want to, that's fine,"** she said with a small smile on her face, trying to hide her disappointment. **"Thank you anyway, Toby. Sorry to bother you."** She turned to leave.

**"Wait," **Toby stopped her, a contemplating look on his face. Mabel turned back and gave him a questioning look. **"Are you any good?"**

**"I'm O-K,"** Mabel replies with a shrug.

Toby pursed his lips, crossing his arms over his chest as he thought. Mabel stood, waiting for him to say something nervously.

**"Now I'm curious,"** Toby stated out of nowhere. **"Let's play." **He turned and went to his lineup of instruments.

**"Really?" **Mabel asked in excitement. Toby nodded as he walked over to her, a bass in one hand and his guitar in the other. He handed the four-stringed instrument over to Mabel before putting his guitar strap over his shoulders. Mabel followed his example, putting the strap over her shoulders and staring down in awe at the instrument. "Wow..." She grinned up at Toby. **"This is a really nice bass. It looks expensive. You sure you're O.K. with me playing it?"**

**"Yeah,"** Toby said with a decisive nod of his head, looking at Mabel as though she was crazy for asking.

**"You guys have fun," **Daphne said with a large smile as she backed away toward the door. **"I need to take care of a few things, so I'll be back later to give you a ride home, Mabel."**

**"**Oh... **O.K., I'll see you later."** The girl looked uncertain about that turn of events, but she smiled past her nervousness as her friend left. She turned back to Toby with a smile, putting both hands carefully on the bass. "So, shall we?"

"Yep," Toby replied with a smile in return, walking over to one of his amps and turning it on. He then handed the cord to Mabel, who plugged it into the bass, before going to set up his own guitar. "What kind of music do you like?" Toby asked as he adjusted the sound on his amp.

"Pretty much anything," Mabel replied with a slight shrug. She strummed absently at her instrument, playing a neat but simple bass line. She smiled at the familiar sound that she had come to miss. "I learned to play a lot of rock and reggae songs, and a few alternative rock. But, I enjoy pretty much any type of music."

"That's cool," Toby said with a smile as he plucked at his guitar to make sure the sound was how he wanted it.

"Daphne told me you were in some bands," Mabel said absently, just trying to make polite conversation as she waited. "What kind of music did you play?"

"Oh, um, I started out in an Indie Rock band - we called ourselves Guitar Face. Then I played something more Alternative Rock in another band..." He was purposely vague about his second band, his lips drawn in a tight line at the thought of the events that had led to - and ended - that band. Mabel stayed silent, remembering what Daphne had told her about that band and feeling bad for bringing the subject up at all. "Anyway, let's play." He sat back in his spot and started strumming his guitar, seeming to put all of his focus into the music.

Mabel listened and watched for a few seconds before joining in. Her sour mood quickly vanished with the old, familiar sliding of steel beneath her fingertips. She smiled down at the bass, loving the way the sounds meshed perfectly together. She glanced at Toby, who was still just staring down at his guitar as he played, and hoped that the two of them could become good friends.


	5. Chapter 5

**THIS STORY IS GOING ON HIATUS FOR A WHILE. **

**I'll post the chapters that I've already written, which is up to chapter 7, but I'm going to stop and rewrite/start a new one after that. I've found that I've made a lot of errors in the original time line with things, and I feel the need to remedy that. I don't have a lot of time on my hands to indulge my hobbies at the moment, so I can't promise anything any time soon.**

**Enjoy this for now!**

* * *

_Bring me back to life._

_Open up my eyes._

_I'm tired, but you pull me back into the light._

_Hold me in your arms_

_And warm my soul tonight._

_I know that as long as I'm with you_

_I will be alright._

* * *

A few weeks had passed since Mabel met Toby, and the two had become good friends since then. They started hanging out more outside of their jam sessions, as Mabel had become a more common guest at the Kennish's house, but most of their time together was spent playing music - never anything serious, just simple jam sessions for fun and practice.

It was on one fateful afternoon that something different from the usual happened. Mabel and Toby were playing after school that day, sitting next to each other in Toby's garage. They were playing a cover of a song that Mabel had introduced to the boy a while back and they were singing the comical lyrics with mirth. When the song ended, both the teens fell into a fit of laughter. It was then that the door to the garage opened, and a familiar strawberry-blond entered the room.

Mabel stopped in her tracks, staring at Emmett in surprise. **"Emmett? What are you doing here?"**

**"Oh, he's kind of my drummer," **Toby explained. **"Well, when I had an actual band..."**

The carefree smile that was on Emmett's face vanished the instant he laid eyes on his old friend. _'Nothing,'_ he signed quickly, his eyes cold. _'I'm leaving.'_

**"Wait!"** Mabel called out before the boy could even turn around. **"I'll go. I was just leaving anyway." **She pulled the strap for the bass over her head, handing it back to Toby. **"I'll see you later, Toby."** She then walked up to Emmett with a look between anger and sadness. _'Sorry. I know you're mad at me... I don't know why, but I'll respect the fact that you don't want to be around me, and I'll try not to inconvenience you in any way.'_ With that out of her system, she walked passed Emmett with a purposeful stride.

Emmett stared after her in surprise as she left. Toby had put his instruments up before walking over to the boy. **"What was that about?"** he asked curiously, looking from the drummer to the door.

_'It's nothing.'_ Emmett signed back quickly.

**"That didn't look like 'nothing'," **Toby pressed, giving his friend a serious look. **"What happened between you two?"**

Emmett's hands started going a mile a minute as he answered the question, his emotions on overdrive. _'We were friends when we were younger, really close friends, and she just up and left without a word one day, out of nowhere, and I-'_

Toby shook his hands in front of Emmett, trying to get him to stop. **"Whoa, whoa! Slow down, I didn't catch most of that."**

Emmett let out a huff of air in frustration, but did as Toby asked. _'We were friends when we were younger,' _ he signed slowly, giving Toby a deliberate look. _'Then, out of nowhere, she up and leaves. She doesn't say goodbye to me or Daphne. And we don't hear from her even once while she's gone. She suddenly shows up out of the blue, expecting things to go right back to normal.'_ He scoffed and shook his head. _'I'm mad at her.'_

Toby blinked a few times as he absorbed the new information. **"O.K."** he signed slowly, looking at Emmett questioningly. **"Is that really worth throwing the friendship away over?"**

Emmett scoffed again. _'You don't get it,'_ he said dismissively, shaking his head at Toby.

**"No, I don't," **Toby agreed with a frown. **"And, maybe you don't either."** He held up his hands in submission as Emmett started signing at him again, faster than he was able to keep up. **"Look, all I'm saying is that, maybe, you should talk with her about it."** Emmett stopped and stared at Toby for a second, as if contemplating that option. **"And, if I were you, I would do it now, before she walks to the other side of town in tears or something."**

Toby's guilt trip seemed to do the trick. Emmett frowned deeply, seeming to have an inner war with himself, before rushing out the door after Mabel. He quickly caught up with the girl, tapping her on the shoulder to get her attention. Mabel turned around in surprise, and Emmett felt bad as he saw her on the brink of tears.

"Emmett," Mabel said in surprise. She caught herself and used his name sign as she quickly wiped her eyes. _'What are you doing here?'_

_'I... I wanted to talk,'_ Emmett replied, looking uneasy. _'Why did you leave, when we were younger? Why didn't you say goodbye?'_

_'I didn't want to leave!" _Mabel signed back quickly and sincerely. _'You know that I've moved around a lot in my life. My mother likes to up and leave out of nowhere! I wanted to at least talk to you, but she just packed everything up one day, and when I got back home she sprung it on me. I didn't have a choice. I'm sorry, Emmett. I'm so sorry for leaving like I did. Please, forgive me...'_ She looked up into his blue eyes desperately, feeling the tears well up in her eyes again. She didn't want to lose his friendship over this, it would kill her.

_'I...'_ Emmett looked on the brink of tears himself as he leaned a little closer to the girl. _'I missed you. So much.'_

_'I missed you, too,'_ Mabel signed back, relief flooding her face at his confession. _'You were my best friend. I have never been as close to someone as I was to you. I'm sorry that I ever left.'_

Emmett smiled slightly, his eyes shining with something akin to happiness. _'It's O.K. You're back now. And, I am glad to see you.' _He shrugged a bit, glancing away as a thought hit him. _'Despite my acting like a complete ass, I'm glad you're back.'_

Mabel laughed quietly, practically launching herself at Emmett and pulling him into a hug. The blond smiled back and happily returned the hug. He rested his head on top of Mabel's, enjoying the embrace. Mabel pulled away with a smile, wiping her eyes. Emmett smiled down at her as he dropped his hands to his side.

_'So, how about we have a jam session?'_ Mabel asked, looking coyly up at Emmett. _'You, me and Toby?"_

_'Sounds like fun,' _Emmett replied, smiling a little wider at the girl. He put an arm around her shoulder and led her back to the garage.

**"Well, looks like you two worked everything out,"** Toby commented as the two entered.

**"Yep," **Mabel replied with a grin.

_'This one makes everything harder than it needs to be,_' Emmett teased, pointing at Mabel with a slight smirk on his face.

**"Hey, you're the one that was mad at me for something that wasn't even my fault!"** Mabel corrected, stabbing her finger into the boy's ribs with a playful scowl.

Emmett laughed silently, and mouthed the word _ow_ as he moved away and held his side. _'Hey, uncalled for violence. Calm yourself, young lady.'_

Mabel laughed and shook her head at the boy before turning to Toby. **"So, mind if we continue the jam session with the three of us?"**

**"Sure,"** Toby replied, smiling as he glanced between the two. He grabbed the two instruments, handing the bass to Mabel again. The three then got in place and started playing.


	6. Chapter 6

**THIS STORY IS GOING ON HIATUS FOR A WHILE. **

**I'll post the chapters that I've already written, which is up to chapter 7, but I'm going to stop and rewrite/start a new one after that. I've found that I've made a lot of errors in the original time line with things, and I feel the need to remedy that. I don't have a lot of time on my hands to indulge my hobbies at the moment, so I can't promise anything any time soon.**

**Enjoy this for now!**

* * *

_My heart is your heart,_

_My pain your pain._

_It's our differences that tear us apart_

_But make us the same._

* * *

_'I'm so screwed!'_ Mabel exclaimed as she walked up to her friend. It was after school, and Emmett had agreed to giver her a ride to the jam session they planned to have with Toby. The two started toward the parking lot slowly.

_'How are you today, Emmett?' _the boy signed to himself. _'I'm good, how about you,_ _Mabel? _He then waved the girl on with a smile, signalling for her to continue.

_'I'm sorry,' _Mabel replied, looking a bit guilty. _'I'm just freaking out over this history test I have coming up. Why am I so bad at history?! It's just stupid facts about stupid people and all the stupid things they've done!'_

_'Sounds pretty stupid,'_ Emmett joked, grinning cheekily. _'You know, just the story of how us and the entire world came to be.' _Mabel nudged him softly, trying to feign anger.

_'Oh, shut up. What do you know, anyway..?'_

Emmett pushed his sleeves up a bit, an arrogant air about him as he waved his fingers toward himself, as if saying 'bring it on'. _'Try me. What years are you covering in this test?'_

_'I think it's from 1400s to 1600s.'_

_'1492, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue. The Atlantic Ocean, to be specific. He was searching for a route from Europe to Asia, but instead found America. He wasn't the first to find America, though, as it was already inhabited by the Native Americans - and, I think it was the Mongolians that actually sailed to America before Columbus found it, but they don't teach you that in history classes.'_

_'Stop,'_ Mabel commanded, looking at her friend in surprise. _'If you want to tutor me, the job is all yours.'_

Emmett fist-pumped jokingly, inciting a laugh from Mabel.

_'You're such a nerd.'_ Emmett gave her a look, pursing his lips together, and Mabel just laughed harder. _'I mean that as a complement! I would definitely fail this test if you weren't here to help me. My adorable little nerd, saving the day.'_

Emmett's face grew hot at the compliment, but he just grinned and tried not to show his embarrassment. _ 'That's what I'm here for, to save the damsel in distress.'_

_'Thank you,'_ Mabel replied sincerely as they reached Emmett's bike. _'Really, I mean it.'_

Emmett nodded, smiling at Mabel. _'Now, hop upon my steed, and we shall ride off into the sunset together!' _Mabel laughed as she took the helmet he offered her, strapping it onto her head. _'We'll go study at my place for a bit.'_

_'What about our jam session?' _Mabel questioned, adjusting the protective head gear until it was comfortable.

_'I'll text Toby and let him know we can't make it today,'_ Emmett replied, sending said text before securing his own helmet and getting on the bike. Mabel nodded as she got on behind him, and the two rode off. As the vehicle sped up, Mabel held Emmett tighter. She trusted the boy with her life, but motorcycles still made her uneasy. Little did she know, Emmett was over the moon at the fact that she was clinging so tightly to him, the grin on his face hidden behind his helmet.

They pulled up outside a quaint little house, and Mabel realized that this would be the first time she would be going inside his house. And meeting his mother. That thought in particular unnerved her.

Emmett took off his helmet and got off the bike, but Mabel lingered, her gaze cast down. She started a bit when Emmett rapped his fist against her helmet, bringing her gaze up to look at the boy.

_'Are you coming?' _He had a light smirk on his face, but in vanished when Mabel's expression didn't lighten up. _'What's wrong?'_

She unhooked the strap around her chin as she pondered on the question. _'What's your mother like?' _She left the helmet on top of her head, starting at Emmett with worried eyes.

_'That's what you're worried about?' _There was a laugh in the boy's eyes as he stared down at his friend.

_'Well, what if she doesn't like me?'_ Mabel pouted slightly at the boy as he gave a silent laugh and shook his head.

_'Don't worry, she will love you.'_ He bent forward so that they were face to face, resting a hand on top of her helmet. _'Trust me, O.K?'_

Mabel gave him a small smile and nodded. Emmett smiled back cutely and pulled the helmet off of her head, setting it in its rightful place. She hopped off of the bike, and the two headed into the house.

Emmett lead the way into the living room, where a woman with a likeness to the boy sat on a couch.

_'Emmett, what are you doing home? I thought you were going to see Toby.'_ She looked surprised, but it didn't seem like an unpleasant surprise. Until her eyes landed on Mabel, that is. _'Who's this?'_

_'This is my friend, M-A-B-E-L. Mabel, this is my mom, M-E-L-O-D-Y.'_ He introduced them with a smile. Mabel smiled shyly and waved at the woman, while Melody gave a tight-lipped smile in return.

_'It's very nice to meet you, Miss B-L-E-D-S-O-E,'_ Mabel signed, trying to be as polite as she could muster. _'You look too young to be a mother. Not that there's anything wrong with having a child young, I'm just saying that you probably look a lot younger than you are.' _ Mabel looked panicked, her signing becoming a bit more urgent as she tried to correct her mistake. _'NOT that I'm saying you're old! I'm just... Trying to pay you a compliment, and I seem to be sticking my foot in my mouth. I'll shut up now...'_ she looked down in embarrassment, trying to ignore Emmett, who was trying his best to hold in back his laughter.

Melody smiled widely at the girl and shook her head. _'It's fine. It's nice to meet you, too.'_

_'I'm going to help Mabel study for a test, that's why I'm not going to see Toby,'_ Emmett stated, once he got himself under control. _'We'll just be in my room.'_

_'Keep the door open,' _Melody replied, but her son had already turned and started down the hallway.

Mabel blushed at the implications and nodded somberly at the woman. _'Of course,' _she replied in a hurry before rushing after Emmett.

Upon entering the boy's room, Mabel felt as though she was stepping into a photographer's haven. She looked around at all his pictures in awe as she took her bag off of her back and set it near the foot of the bed._ 'These are really good. You took all these?'_

_'Yeah,'_ Emmett said with a smile as he shut the door.

Mabel blushed brightly and rushed to the door, pulling it open quickly. Emmett gave her a questioning look, which only caused her face to redden more. **"Your mom..."**she muttered pathetically. **"She said to leave the door open..."**

Emmett's face heated up at that, but he grinned playfully. _'What does she think we're going to be doing?'_

Mabel shrugged, feigning ignorance as she walked over and sat on his bed._ 'I don't know, but I'd like to stay on her good side. Especially after that crappy first impression.'_ She made a face, and Emmett laughed.

_'That, my friend, was the greatest introduction in the history of ever!'_

_'Shut up! Shut up!' _She let out a groan and covered her face, falling back on her bed. She lifted her hand to look up at Emmett when she felt the boy sit next to her on the bed.

_'If it makes you feel better, I think that helped win her over. Her first smile was fake, but she looked like she was genuinely happy after that introduction.'_

_'So she was silently laughing at me, you say?'_

_'No, I didn't say that,' _Emmett stated, looking away a bit as Mabel sat up. She smiled at him, an eyebrow raised as if trying to urge the truth out of him. _'O.K. She may have been laughing a little on the inside... But it was a good type of laugh, not a judgement laugh. Trust me, she likes you.'_

Mabel rolled her eyes and giggled quietly. _'O.K., I'll trust you on this one. Now, let's make sure I pass this test, shall we?'_ She pulled her history book out of her bag, making herself comfortable by taking off her shoes and sitting cross-legged in the middle of his bed. She set the book in front of her and opened it to the first chapter the test would be covering.

_'We'll make sure that you ace this test,__'_ Emmett replies with a grin, following his friend's example and making himself comfortable. He sat a little closer than was probably necessary, and Mabel's head spun slightly as she caught a scent of the the boy.

_I'm not sure if I can concentrate when he's sitting so close..._ She quickly shook the thought out of her head, deciding that her determination to pass was greater than her hormones' desire to get her laid. _No, Emmett's going to help you kill this test, Mabel! Don't let those kind of thoughts distract you!_

The two went over the material multiple times until Mabel was certain she had gotten it down. Then, Emmett quizzed her randomly to make sure that she remembered under pressure. When they were satisfied with the progress, the two took a break. It was around that time that Melody came into the room.

_'I made some snacks, if you two are hungry,'_ she signed with one hand, the other holding a plate of healthy foods.

_'Mom,'_ Emmett replied, looking embarrassed at his mother's actions. _'We're not 5.'_

_'No, it's fine,_' Mabel said with a small smile to Emmett before turning to his mother. _'I'm starving, I would love some snacks. Thank you very much.'_

She took the plate from a smiling Melody.

_'Enjoy. And let me know if you need anything.'_ With that, the woman left the room.

_'Sorry about her,'_ Emmett said, pressing his lips together and shaking his head. _'She likes to try to embarrass me.'_

_'No, it's nice,' _Mabel said, a forlorn smile on her face. She happily took a bite of the food, her smile widening. _'I wish my mom was more like that. She doesn't even cook anymore. All the food I've eaten since I was 10 has either been fast food or frozen dinners.'_ She made a face before continuing to eat with a smile.

Emmett sat up more fully, looking slightly concerned. _'Is everything going O.K. at home? With your mom, I mean? You're usually so vague about all of that...'_

She shook her head and sighed. _'It's nothing to worry about. She's still drinking every day, but she hasn't missed too much work yet.'_ She set the plate down on the bed, looking down sadly. _'I'm hopeful that she'll stop drinking... She's talked about it a lot... but, she never goes through with it when she talks about it. So, I know I shouldn't get my hopes up. It's hard, though, watching her do this to herself, and it's hard for me to deal with the consequences of everything...' _She looked up at Emmett with a sad smile. _'Thank you for forgiving me, by the way. I'm not sure what I would have done if I had lost you, too...'_

Emmett's eyes widened at the last part. His stomach churned with guilt over his selfishness. _'I'm sorry I was ever mad at you in the first place,'_ he replied, scooting a little closer to her. He reached down to grab the hand that she rested in between them, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Mabel blushed at the contact and stared up at Emmett in surprise. _'It wasn't your fault. It's not fair that you have to suffer for your mom's choices.'_

_'I know,'_ was all she could reply with as she stared into his sincere, stunning blue eyes. Her heart was pounding against her chest, at both the close proximity of the boy next to her, and the warmth emitting from his hand that covered her own. She could have swore that he was moving closer, but it must have been a trick that her eyes were playing on her._  
_

There was a knocking at the bedroom door, and Mabel nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned to see Melody at the door again, the woman's eyebrows raised in surprise. Emmett turned as well when he realized that he had lost Mabel's attention. His face reddened as he saw his mom standing there.

_'Am I interrupting something?'_ Melody asked, almost looking bashful about barging in on the situation.

_'No, no!' _Mabel signed quickly, thoroughly embarrassed at being caught. Caught doing what, she wasn't sure, but she felt that embarrassment was the correct response to this situation.

_'Kind of,'_ Emmett signed to her mother, standing up and heading to the door to shoo her out. Mabel's arm's flailed as she tried to sign a coherent sentence to remedy Emmett's response. Melody was already out the door and out of sight, though, before the girl could gather her bearings, Emmet right behind her.

_'I was just wondering if she was going to stay for dinner,'_ Melody asked her son, a slight smile on her face at his embarrassment.

_'No,'_ Emmett replied with finality.

_'She's free to stay if she'd like,'_ Melody pushed, turning to her son with a serious expression. _'I'd like to get to know the girl who can make my son look at her like that.'_

_'She's not even my girlfriend, and you're treating us like we're doing something wrong behind your back! Just give us some privacy, I promise, nothing's going to happen between us!' _Emmett looked both distressed and embarrassed as he explained to his mother.

_'Why not?'_ Melody asked, picking up the underlining meaning. _'Not that I'm condoning you having sex at your age, but why would you think that nothing's going to happen between the two of you?'_

_'Just leave us alone!'_ was Emmett's final plea before he threw up his arms and headed back into his room. He smiled tiredly at Mabel as he sat down. _'Sorry about that.'_

_''I think I should... go.' _Mabel stated, embarrassed as she decided to look anywhere but at Emmett._  
_

_'No, no! You can stay, it's fine. My mom is just kind of intrusive, I'm sorry.'_ He smiled reassuringly at his friend, urging her to stay.

Mabel shook her head, returning his smile with a small, bashful one. _'No, I really do need to go,'_ she insisted. _'I have some homework to do, and I actually need to get some laundry done before tomorrow... Thank you for helping me study, though.'_

_'Don't mention it,' _Emmett replied, a sad smile on his face. He really didn't want her to leave yet. _'Any time you need help, don't hesitate to ask. I'll even help you go over this same material more before your test, if you'd like.'_

_'Thanks, that would be great,' _Mabel said with a grin as she gathered her book and notes back up, stuffing them into her bag. _'The test is on Friday, so maybe we could go over it again on Thursday?' _It was Monday, so that gave her plenty of time to study on her own.

_'Sounds good,' _Emmett says with a nod._ 'Meet up with me after class on Thursday, and I'll give you a ride.'  
_

'_Alright, thanks.' _She pulled the straps of her backpack over her shoulders, smiling at Emmett. _'I'll see you later then.'__  
_

_'Hey, let me give you a ride home,' _Emmett said, smiling as he led the way to the door. Mabel would have told him that it wasn't necessary, seeing as she didn't live very far away, but the boy had his back to her as he walked. Instead, she just silently followed him. She saw Melody in the living room as she passed by, smiling and waving to the woman.

_'Have a nice day,_' Melody signed to her with a smile in return.

_'You, too.'_

Emmett held the door open for her, and Mabel headed to his bike. She turned to Emmett as he approached.

_'I don't live that far away, you know,_' she stated, pursing her lips. _'I could just walk. Save gas, save the environment. Save me from becoming fat and lazy. Everyone wins.'_

_'Yeah, but if you walk home, then you can't ride on my awesome bike,' _Emmett replies with a grin, handing her the helmet._  
_

_'I am actually O.K. with that.' _She pursed her lips. As much as she loved being that close to Emmett, the thing honestly scared the crap out of her.

_'What's your address,'_ Emmett persisted, grabbing his own helmet.

Mabel sighed and gave him her address before putting on the passenger's helmet. Emmett just smiled and committed the address to memory before putting his own helmet on and getting on the bike.

Mabel sat behind him, holding on to his torso as if her life depended on it. Which, in all fairness, it kind of did.

With that, the two rode off for a second time that day.


	7. Adopt

Did you enjoy this story? Are you upset about the long hiatus it's on? Do you enjoy writing yourself?

Well, I have good news for you! -insert 90s gameshow music-

You can now adopt this story and continue writing it as your own! Anything in the story up to this point can belong to you; you can use everything, or change characters to fit your preference, or do a complete rewrite of the series before continuing the story. All you need to adopt this story are the following:

1\. At least one story of your own already written and published on FF. It can be a one shot or an ongoing series. I want to make sure that a decent, capable writer is taking over, because I would like to read it and see the changes you make. If I dislike your writing style, you may not be given the story. But don't let that discourage you from trying for it! Who knows, you might be the only one interested and get it by default, haha!

2\. A PM sent to me stating the name of the story you would like to adopt. I'm planning on trying to give away more than one story, so make sure to give me the name right off the bat to avoid any confusion.

If you're interested, just send me a PM. When I've given it away, this chapter will be replaced with a new one sending viewers to the new story location. Thank you for your time! C:


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